Suite I: Metropolis
by SincerelyJin
Summary: Inspired by the concept of the stunning songstress Janelle Monae, this first part of the Metropolis Trilogy introduces Android 57821, otherwise known as Cindi Mayweather, whose infatuation with the human known as Anthony Greendown, progresses into love.
1. Foundation of Metropolis & Note

_SincerelyJin_

**Metropolis**  
>A forbidden narrative through android eyes.<p>

**Cast of characters – Guide to First Suite**

**The Year is 2718.  
><strong>The seemingly civil and colorful city of Metropolis is not what it seems. Behind the glamorous inhabitants of the upper class lies servants—androids. Built and programmed for only one purpose, these hollow shells composed of wires and metallic alloy were not meant to feel any sort of emotion, nor to receive any compassion from their human patrons. Through the eyes of many citizens, they are soulless and bare, to others they are the keys to unlocking a better world. To Android: No. 57821, prototype of the _Alpha Platinum 9000_ line, Cindi Mayweather, androids are meant to break free from their shackles of servitude and will pave a way towards a freedom of their own. But along with the service of androids, rules bind them from escaping their duty, falling in love with any human, or fleeing Metropolis.

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><p><strong>Protagonists<strong>

**Cindi Mayweather: **_AKA Android no. 57821, AKA the prototype, AKA the dreamer._

The heroine of this tale. An android, both graced and cursed with human-like emotions by her creator, who is anonymous to the public eye and is rumored to have never been conversed with face to face. She was created as a prototype to the new and upcoming _Alpha Platinum 9000_ android line, which were specifically programmed to be performers for special events. While Cindi is the, 'toast of the town', she is also a bright and rather curious individual. Her curiosity is at its peak when she encounters a human by the name of Anthony Greendown, a man who is in an alliance with _The Providers_, a group of smugglers who try to save rogue androids from being decommissioned. After she sees him, her curiosity develops into an infatuation, then before she knows it, into love.

**Anthony Greendown:** _AKA the human, AKA the sympathizer._

Bullied since childhood, Anthony Greendown always believed in equality after learning of speeches from Martin Luther King, Jr. in school. When racism was completely demolished from this world before his time, the discrimination towards androids bloomed like thorns on roses. His beliefs resulted in his rejection from society: no one would hire him, his upper class parents embarrassed at their son being a rebel, and the Metropolis Polis would keep a close eye on him whenever they identified his face in a crowd. He ended up joining _The Providers_ when he finished high school, and while he was thrilled at the thought of more android sympathizers, his parents were not. After a time of receiving various threats from unknown callers and many jeers from their acquaintances, his father eventually confronted his son which turned into one of the biggest fights Anthony had ever gotten himself into, which resulted in him leaving the place he once called home.

**Parker Kel:** _AKA the brother, AKA the companion._

Polished to the toe like his technologically-genetic sister, Parker was also created by Cindi's mysterious inventor, so they are practically brother and sister. Being of a previous and somewhat outdated model, Parker isn't even as popular as the _Alpha Platinum_. He does not think much of it, as long as he's nearby Cindi, for she has always been there for him. Since their creation, all they honestly had were each other. And when he notices that she is falling for Greendown, he is concerned for her safety, because the Cybersoul Patrol will not be too far behind their trail when they find out about her intentions.

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><p><strong>Factions<strong>

**The Metropolis Polis**

The enforcers of Metropolis who uphold the law for the humans of the city. The head of the Polis (pronounced the same way as 'police') would be Captain 6ix Savage. It is rumored that the man has never cracked a smile since the day of his birth.

**The Cybersoul Patrol**

The ones responsible for the strict rules towards android-kind. They strike fear into the androids when they make examples out of other androids that break any of these few rules with merciless execution. Through dissembling or destruction, the Cybersoul Patrol keep the androids in their place, especially with their masters of capture, the _Wolfmasters_, the elite trackers who are said to be the most cold and deadly people in Metropolis.

The 'Droid Control' is also a nickname for the Cybersoul Patrol.

**The Punk Prophets**

The enigmas of Metropolis, the Punk Prophets are similar to a religious group. They are not as outspoken and ignorant as extremist groups of the past, but are secretive. The only thing that is known to the public by their two leaders, Charles and Nathaniel, is that there is supposed to be a figure that is said to change the future of Metropolis. And this change would be coming sooner than expected.

**The Neon Valley Crime Syndicate**

Their ranks consist of murderers, thieves, scoundrels, con artists, liars, hooligans, etc. All of these criminals work under the influence of Mousey, the Neon Valley Crime lord. The smooth talking and mildly handsome crime lord definitely benefits from his minions, since he owns a majority of places in an upper class section of the city, more in the Neon Valley District within the middle class section. He is basically the slick and sneaky devil of the Neon Valley District, and his minions the loyal demons.

**The Providers**

A group of outcasts and believers of equality. They save as many rogue androids as they can that have broken any one of the rules, keeping them safe from the clutches of the Cybersoul Patrol, Wolfmasters, and bounty hunters. While they are all against the servitude of androids, not all of them look at how their freedom is spent, the same way.

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><p><em>Because this is only the first of the trilogy, these factions are the first major factions to appear in this story. More will most likely be revealed as time progresses.<br>-SincerelyJin _


	2. Diamond in the Rough

_SincerelyJin_

**Metropolis  
><strong>_A forbidden narrative through android eyes._

**I**.

**I don't know what it was I saw at that moment. **The people, the—the various bidders, my sisters, Parker. They were all gone, as if they never existed. The collaborative cheer and the cadence of crowd's claps muffled into silence. All of the towering seats, full of many cultures and colors became empty, but one. He looked as if he were under a spell. The portals to his soul, clouded with enchantment and wonder; who was he looking at, the ghosts my sisters? Their struts programmed for unyielding confidence and a sense of grace as they strode down the long walk with their glamorous articles. Billions of euros were being spent for their services, while their faces were like mine. While their faces were like mine, the people that were once filling those empty seats, objectified them like canines to a femur.

Was I the one his eyes were directed to? Did he cause my world to fade out? A medley of questions without answers stirred within my mind, until everything faded completely to black. Then the events that were to follow the dark would shake my very being, to this day.

It was approximately seventeen hours ago since I had last restarted. There was Parker, the one I called my brother; he was the only face I saw as I slowly came to. While my sensors booted up, I swore I could hear him mumbling to himself when looking at something I could not see.

"_-must be her,"_ he said quietly, as if not wanting to be heard.

"Who is it?" I finally asked, shaking my head at the end of the boot.

His face met mine and his mouth formed into a smile, one similar to a smile made when old friends reunite.

"Look."

I hoisted myself onto my elbows to see my surroundings were of the City Hall—the lobby if I'm correct. We were behind a large pillar, the polished marble floors below us, and a wall nearby; Parker was peeking around the pillar, I did the same. It was her, Lady Maestra: the Master of the Show Droids, and the first android Maker brought into this city. She was the one who brought the Maker his fortune.

Lady Maestra was a highly acclaimed android in the city, rumored to be the only one Maker talks to, and the one she gets annually repaired by. Then again, many rumors circulate through Metropolis.

My older sisters of the _Alpha Platinum _line were being inspected by our oldest relative. She strolled down the line of perfectly still look-alikes at a slow pace with a woman by her side. The dark-skinned woman was tall and lean, elegant and laced with black onyx-embedded jewelery, a long black dress complimenting her form. _"So, do you like?" _the woman's Ethiopian accent purred. Lady Maestra's face was quite serious, but quickly shifted to a warm smile, _"Your Golden House never ceases to amaze me, Maxxa." _Lady Maxxa let out a short, hearty laugh, _"Lovely, lovely! This will be yet another grand auction! Thank you, Lady Maestra!" _With an energetic couple of claps, the models turned at the heel in a moment's notice, then headed towards an area closed off by a red velvet curtain.

The clicking of Lady Maxxa's heels and of Lady Maestra's boots melted away as they trekked deeper into City Hall. "So that was the oldest of us?" asked Parker, now slumping on the pillar. "It seems that way," I responded. "And that Maxxa woman treated her so well!" Parker kind of chuckled at what I said; was I wrong? "She deserves it," he simply said.

I never knew those three plain words would ring throughout my mind for so long.

Through most people's eyes in this city, no matter what your stature was, an android was just an android that was created to be used in one way or another. Even an android of high caliber such as Lady Maestra has been looked down upon in severe negativity. Did she deserve that, did any of us deserve that in fact? No. _'We have done nothing but what we were told to do, whether it be good or bad,'_ was something I remember Parker telling me once.

"Let's go, Cindi," his voice brought me out of deep thought. "They're going to be looking for you soon." His cool hand grabbed mine, he lifted me onto my feet. "You mean, _us_," I corrected. "Oh no, not me, little sister. Just the diamond in the rough," he patted my head. "We'll go there together, anyhow," both of my hands were in his, I could feel an expression of reassurance forming slowly, but surely.

Through the passage of hours, Metropolis' Annual Android Auction closed near. While my sisters were being primped and primed, the many CEOs, inventors, members of royalty, and inhabitants of the upper class arrived to City Hall. The Metropolis Polis surrounded the building, the Punk Prophets emerged from the shadows, The Cybersoul Patrol eyed each and every android they crossed with severe caution. And from this point on, the events that followed would pick up to the point of me barely keeping up with the pace.


	3. Truth

_SincerelyJin  
><em>

**Metropolis  
><strong>_A forbidden narrative through android eyes._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Previously: <strong>The heroine of this grand tale, Android No. 57821 (otherwise known as Cindi Mayweather), and her humanoid brother, Android No. 38506 (otherwise known as Parker Kel) sees Lady Maestra, Metropolis' Master of the Show Droids in the lobby of City Hall. With her is Lady Maxxa, world-renown hostess of the Golden House, the company that organizes the Annual Android Auction each year. The hours pass, the glamorous figures of the upper class arrive along with the Polis, the Patrol, and the Prophets. The time for Cindi's worldwide debut ticks closer to its arrival..._

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><p><strong>II.<strong>

**A severe case of nerves struck: not because of all the people, not because of performing for the first time in front of all those people, but because of the Droid Control. **The Cybersoul Patrol and its Wolfmasters always brought along an uncomfortable feeling-rather an uncomfortable nervous feeling than an uncomfortable feeling of fear. Parker was utterly terrified of them due to the last interaction we both had with them.

Anyways.

Backstage was hectic and blaring, members of the Golden House scattered about, primping hair to perfection and removing wrinkles from my sisters' clothing. This night could not be flawed in any way; their eyes said it all.

A chorus of constant chatter could be heard from the crowd that grew larger by the second on the other side of the curtain. While the crowd continued to crescendo, the frantic noise of backstage started to die down, and I heard the familiar clicking of heels. An energetic couple of claps echoed throughout backstage.

"Now, now, people!" Lady Maxxa's voice rang. "It is about that time for the Auction to commence!"

The many hair stylists and members of the Golden House grasped onto every word provided by the Golden Hostess. I saw Parker with a guitar clenched in his hand; the strings would have snapped into two if he tightened his grip any further.

"What's wrong, Parker?" I asked.

"Nothing," he clearly lied. Poor thing. My hand rested on his shoulder, he needed a moment of reassurance.

"You know exactly what it is."

Before I could say anything else, I could see Lady Maxxa making her way towards us. I think I might have drowned her out before. She must have seen the worried looks on our faces, because her expression quickly transitioned from a positive one. "Is everything alright, Ms. Merriweather?" It was a sincere question. Sincerity from a human to an android, I knew I would like this woman. "It's just pre-Auction jitters, is all," I forced a smile. Her attention went from me, to Parker, sincerity still pulsing through her veins. "You will do fine, Mr. Kel," she said in almost a whisper of a voice. She put her hands on each of our shoulders. "You will both do fine. The Wolfmasters lie dormant this evening, and I've been _promised_ that the Patrol will keep quiet for this event." A hint of a smile could be seen on Parker's face after that last statement. Thank goodness for Lady Maxxa.

"Now, shall we make this Auction one that Metropolis will never forget?"

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><p>And so far, that's all this Auction's been. One many will never forget. I felt like I'd performed as best as I could for the crowd, but then something happened. My feet seemed to share a single mind, separate from my own. I simply lost control of them, they went—what would people call it—insane, or free. It happened the instant I had laid my eyes upon this man: skin the color of melted caramel, eyes that would be a pair of the most majestic eyes I'd ever seen, eyes that carried so much determination and ambition. He was beautiful. He was human.<p>

It might have been because of him: the cause of my feet becoming free, the cause of the quickened beats coming from my artificial heart, the cause of my world to become dark, seeing nothing but him. The cause of my world to soon become nothing but pitch black.

I remember restarting, waking up to see myself in a blindingly bright room, surrounded by a number of people: Parker, Lady Maxxa, Lady Maestra, and three women in bridal dresses who had their faces covered by matching veils. For a long moment, I swear I'd seen the slightest glint of an eerie green that emitted from the middle bride's eyes. It was enough to send a shiver down one's spine. "She is well. Her maintenance showed no sign of her performance being unsatisfactory," said the middle bride, her voice monotone and mechanical. Relief washed over the faces of Maxxa and Parker, Maestra and the other brides' expressions remained stiff. "But-"

"What is going on?" I interrupted the bride, mid-sentence.

"Please, Ms. Merriweather," said Maestra, urgent to hear the bride's words. She turned to the bride, her face showing a sense of apology. "Continue." The bride answered with a single nod and did so. "But the last sight from her, worries me." I quickly scanned my last portion of memory before the restart, and it hit me. The human. What was it about him that caused what happened to me? A stream of thoughts surged through my mind and one divided into another, so on and so forth. And while Parker and Maxxa exchanged curious glances, and while the bride and Maestra silently conversed with their eyes, the bride to the left gazed directly at me.

_"You know what it is, don't you?" _a voice echoed into the depths of my mind. I immediately assumed the voice came from her.

_"No," _I thought back honestly.

"Why does it worry you?" Parker questioned the middle bride. "What did she see?"

"A human," the middle bride answered. Maxxa's brow raised. "But the majority of the audience consisted of humans. It would be a bit difficult not to see one." "No, she just saw one," said the left bride. "And she doesn't know why." The left bride's words seemed to leave the middle bride at a pause. "Can someone tell me why?" I spoke up, curiosity getting the better of me, my voice a little louder than I intended. Silence hit the room hard, not a sound made nor heard for the next minute or so.

Then the middle bride finally answered.

"You are in love. You are in love with a human."


	4. Appearances

_SincerelyJin_

**Metropolis  
><strong>_A forbidden narrative through android eyes._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Previously: <strong>The Annual Android Auction seemed to be going great for Cindi and her debut to the world, but things may have turned for the worst. Locking eyes with a human male in the large audience caused some strange effects, and before Cindi knew it, she shorted out and went into an unconscious state._

_ After auto-restarting, she finds herself surrounded by a number of observers: Parker, Lady Maxxa, Lady Maestra, and three women wearing bridal dresses and donning matching veils that covered their faces (Cindi refers to them simply as "brides"). One has been revealed to have Technopathy, which grants one the ability to read and communicate with mechanical beings, androids being one of them of course. Not much is known about these mysterious trio, but one of the brides sensed something that caused her a sort of disturbance._

_ Cindi Mayweather is in love with a human..._

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><p><strong>III.<strong>

**So that was what love felt like? **My feet sweeping me off the floor, my senses going dull—it was all because of love? I was entranced by the fact, curious to how this could be so, and who that man was. But before my mind became suffocated by questions and theories, I noticed a number of things: the (still existing) awkward silence that filled the brightly-lit room, Maxxa and Parker's faces struck with horror, and the seriousness painted onto Maestra's.

"A droid in love with a human? Ain't this somethin'," a bodiless voice fizzed.

A small projector in the corner of the room sparked to life, catching Parker and Maxxa off guard after knowing someone had heard the news. The lights in the room dimmed down a bit; the room seemed to be a place of storage. A whirring sound was followed by a beam of light that shot past me and transformed into a holographic wave that crashed onto the floor. The wave formed into the shape of a human, only to be filled in by a familiar sight.

"Good evening, ladies," Sir Lucious Leftfoot smiled a toothy grin.

Sir Lucious Leftfoot. Auctioneer Extraordinaire. Holographic Player. He's gone by many nicknames, but he is mainly known for his talent in auctioning. That is what he was custom made for, and he was the auctioneer for the Auction, like he is every year. The hologram politely bowed to the brides, the left one scoffed, Lucious frowned in disappointment.

"He knows, will he tell?" Parker was severely nervous. Maestra put her finger to his lips, silencing him quickly. She looked at Lucious, "Will you?" Lucious tipped back his hat. "I'm not, but I won't have to." I felt my heart skip a few beats or so. All I could hear was my heartbeats and the low humming of Lucious's form. "What do you mean by that?" I asked him.

"They've been cautious," said the hologram. "They've been-"

"Lucious?" Maestra's tone a worrisome one.

"Listening."

Next thing I could remember, a sharp, piercing sound emitted from the doorway. The storage room became brighter than it was when the lights were on; it felt as if the brightest star had fallen right in front of us. I felt someone grip my hand, it was Parker's. I could tell. Quickened footsteps came closer, and electronic buzzing surged. The blinding white and the painful pitch slowly disintegrated into the dimly lit room. The electronic buzzing was Lucious's image, flickering and stuttering, he even looked sickly. I turned: Maxxa was gone, Maestra was gone, so were the brides. Parker's hands were clapped over his ears. It was just the three of us, incapacitated.

I looked to the open doorway to see shadow-like figures, lined perfectly in a row that overstretched the entrance/exit. They were still, still as statues. A dark shade of crimson was the color of the illuminated buttons that went down their jackets. Their eyes revealed gazes of merciless intent from the little light that swam within their pupils. They were the Cybersoul Patrol, and nothing good ever came from their appearances.


End file.
